25/04/2019 (Agence Europe) – Eighty-five Western Balkan civil society organisations have signed a petition to the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, calling on him not to delay the opening of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia. Member States are due to address this issue at the end of June and some of them would still be opposed. According to several Balkan media reports, the petition warns that further delay in opening negotiations would have a negative impact on public support for the EU, the credibility of the EU throughout the region and could discourage the region's leaders from seeking solutions to unresolved bilateral conflicts. (CG)